Recently, the staff of Guangxi Hepu Dugong National Nature Reserve (hereinafter referred to as Hepu Dugong Nature Reserve) observed a group of Chinese white dolphins during their maritime patrol.
Chinese white dolphin juvenile dolphin.
01
Populations have grown and the proportion of juvenile dolphins in protected areas has increased
On July 10, during the marine fishing season, the staff of the Hepu Dugong Reserve found about 15 Chinese white dolphins swimming in the water in groups, jumping out of the water from time to time to play.
The reporter learned that due to the stable and good ecological environment of the reserve in recent years, it is easier to find Chinese white dolphins. In mid-May, staff also found two groups of Chinese white dolphins in the shallow sea.
The mainland is the world's most important habitat for Chinese white dolphins, with populations of about 4,000 to 5,000. Among them, in the Hepu Dugong Reserve, the number of groups exceeds 150.
Hepu Dugong Reserve is located in the waters of Tieshan Port in Beibu Bay. Monitoring data show that in both the dry and wet seasons, more than 70% of the waters in the reserve and the nearby shallow sea are rated as suitable habitats for Chinese white dolphins.
Chinese white dolphins swim in the sea.
02
Body color changes, changing from black gray to pale pink with age
According to reports, the Chinese white dolphin was not white when it was first born, but black and gray. As we age, our body color slowly fades — gray in young individuals and white or pale pink in adult and elderly individuals.
Why does the body color of the Chinese white dolphin change?
According to experts, the body color change of Chinese white dolphins is related to body temperature regulation, the development of juvenile dolphins is not complete, the body temperature regulation system is not yet perfect, and the color of the body surface is mostly black gray or gray; In adulthood, a complete thermoregulation system develops, and when playing and exercising in the sea, a large amount of blood flows to the epidermis, and the white skin becomes pale pink.
Adult Chinese white dolphins and juvenile dolphins.
03
Identify individuals and compare dolphin features with photographs
Professor Chen Bingyao, an expert on whales and dolphins at Nanjing Normal University, told reporters that the appearance of Chinese white dolphins seems to be similar, but through photo recognition and comparison, each adult individual has significant differences.
In the science popularization education base of Hepu Dugong Conservation Area, some photos of Chinese white dolphins are displayed, and the main part of the photo is the dorsal fin of the dolphin, which has different shapes, colors and spots.
Chen Bingyao said that comparing the pictures of the Chinese white dolphin taken each time can tell whether it has appeared in the sea area.
04
Increase efforts to protect the "giant pandas on the sea"
The Chinese white dolphin is known as the "giant panda of the sea", and as a rare and protected animal in coastal and coastal waters, it has irreplaceable ecological and biological value.
Because the white dolphin inhabits the estuary of the sea and the shallow coastal sea, it is highly overlapping with the economic development zone and the shipping intensive area, and is highly susceptible to human interference. Chinese white dolphins are injured by fishing nets, hit by boats and other situations occur from time to time, marine transportation noise, coastal industrial and agricultural sewage and sand mining, land reclamation, marine resources exploitation and overfishing caused by food resources depletion, etc., will seriously damage the living environment of Chinese white dolphins.
Zhang Hongke, director of the Hepu Dugong Nature Reserve Management Center, said that in recent years, the reserve and the local government have continuously strengthened the protection of the marine ecological environment, increased maritime inspection and law enforcement, rectified the three fishing boats and illegal fishing operations, and gradually improved the quality of the marine environment, providing a good habitat for the Chinese white dolphin.
Nanguo Morning Post reporter Zhang Wenhui
Source: Southern Morning Post